During breakfast the next morning, Alex did not want to rerun to school. The next break would not be until Thanksgiving and all she was able to think of was an endless stream of miserable days lying ahead of her. She wasn't able to concentrate on anything that day. Not her Aunt Becky's faint suggestions of apologizing to Ross, not Kirk's requests to pass the jam, and not the uncalled for criticism of Uncle Joe. It seemed as if someone had cupped their hands over her ears to block out all sound, all noises, all voices, including her own.

Her voice had long died in her throat after screaming out in agony for so long from that horrifying nightmare.

"Here's your money for lunch," Aunt Becky informed gently as she handed Alex one of the daily five dollar bills she was given. Alex cringed.

"They raised the price to ten dollars," Alex murmured.

A look of perplexity claimed Aunt Becky's wrinkled features as she stared at Alex. In her eyes, her niece seemed to be hiding something that needed to be discovered but ever since taking note of her sudden change of mood towards Ross the other day, she figured that it was something that shouldn't be questioned.

"Well, if that's what happened-?!"

"It did," Alex snapped.

She knew that it was a lie but there was no other way to go, not a safe one that is. She had to pay the money that she was ordered to give. If she didn't, her life would be on the line.

Aunt Becky's features softened, "Well, alright. Here." With slight reluctance, she handed her another five dollar bill and watched as Alex slowly took it, as if it was something that she no longer wanted.

"You don't want it anymore?" she inquired.

"I do!" Alex sputtered abruptly and Aunt Becky jolted in surprise, "I was just in a daze is all."

Aunt Becky reluctantly accepted the reassurance with a slight nod and a delighted smile, "Well then, I'll see you when you return."

Alex nodded in agreement with her and as soon as Aunt Becky was out of sight, she let the tears she had been unknowingly holding back for so long stream down her flushed face and pelt softly onto the carpet floor.

She had never lied to her aunt before and doing it now made her feel as though as if she had just broken the law, like she had just committed the most unforgivable crime.

It is unforgivable. She suddenly realized,

She would never forgive me if she ever found out. I don't blame her. I'll never be able to forgive myself either...

The five block walk from Alex's apartment to the school felt utterly exhausting and seemed to take longer than usual. Alex actually wanted it to feel like it was taking a long time because the slower and longer she walked, the less of a chance she would see Michael and his friends waiting for her arrival. Each step she took though required much needed effort as if she had been born with blocks of lead for feet. Even the money she carried in her pocket seemed to uncomfortably weigh her down and her limbs seemed to be doing the same. It was as if her body was protesting against to what she was doing...

She knew full and well that paying Michael was wrong. The guilt and utter shame she felt for selfishly giving away her aunt's hard earned money to some undeserving bully washed over her in incessant waves. What kept her going though, what made her forget about all of the guilt and shame gnawing at her heart was the glimmer of hope that once she gave Michael what he wanted, he would finally leave her alone and let her walk the halls of the school without living in fear and always feeling the need to feel threatened.

When Alex drew closer to the school, her pulse quickened once she saw Michael towering in the distance next to the roaring water fountain and his friends alongside him. Her legs became wobbly as she came closer to them and she was sure that her legs would buckle from beneath her at any moment if she didn't take caution.

Michael smirked at her as he withdrew the cigarette from his lips.

"Whatcha got for me, bitch?" he asked her in his low, menacing voice. Sighing heavily, Alex slipped a hand into her pocket and retrieved the two five dollar bills that she had received from her aunt and shakily presented to him.

She watched in sheer terror as he snatched the money from her hands and began to gloat to his friends, waving the bill in the air as if it were a white flag pleading for surrender.

I wish he would surrender... Alex thought frowning.

The undying guilt pounded at her chest once more as she watched her aunt's money wave in the air. She still couldn't believe that she had lied to her aunt to watch this undeserving, insolent boy gloat right in front of her face about something that wasn't even his to take, about something that he didn't even deserve or earn.

After that horrible sight, she wasn't able to concentrate during any of her morning classes, considering that his friends were nudging her every chance they got and the glares that Michael shot into her direction from the front of the room was a sight she preferably wanted to have went unseen by her eyes.

Alex sighed heavily after Michael had shot another glare into her direction and she gently rubbed her temples once a growing headache began to pound relentlessly against her head. She knew that all of the students in the room could see Michael and his friends bothering her but unlike her, they weren't bold enough (or crazy enough) to stand up to them like she had done for Monica.

The intercom crackled on and a loud merry voice greeted all of those inside the school, "Good morning all of Charington Academy! Here are the morning announcements! Want to be in Student Council? If so, the first Student Council meeting will be held today after school in the mess hall." The voice paused, "If you would like to build confidence, endurance, and strength, join the Charington Track Team next semester."

Alex jolted. Track team? That involves running, doesn't it? Maybe I should join. It could get my mind off of Michael. If I can't fight him, maybe I can outrun him.

"Further information can be provided by Coach Anderson. Put on your aprons and mittens everyone because the Charington Bakery Sale is here again!"

But what if I'm not good enough? It's bad enough that I'm short but what if I'm slow too?

Then suddenly, those three words flashed in her mind: Confidence. Endurance. Strength.

I would never be able to catch up!

Confidence, endurance, and strength was her response.

What if I can't do it?

Confidence and strength flashed in her mind.

Then it hit her.

Those were the exact same words that she wanted, what she needed to survive in this world. She wanted to believe them and be able to serve as an example for them. But the negativity of never achieving that goal would slow her down and make her more of a victim than she already was. She wanted to confront Michael and show him who's boss but the thought of not succeeding made her torn and not believe that she would ever be able to stand up to Michael(again). He was bigger, stronger, and a lot more faster than she was.

But if I join track, maybe I can make my endurance stronger. She thought and as Michael craned his neck to glare at her, she cringed.

Or maybe I should just ask Monica...

"Track?" Monica questioned during lunch after Alex told her about the announcements, "That's a wonderful sport to join. I was in it last year before I joined the cheerleading team. It's really fun."

"Really?" Alex questioned with a glimmer of hope glinting in her eyes.

"Sure. If I were you, I would definitely join. It really helps."

Alex nodded at her and as she began to fidget with her fingers, she had noticed what Monica had just said. What did she mean by "if I were you"? Did she mean that if Monica was in her place, she would join because she knew that she was too weak to put it off for too long and end up making a fool out of herself? Someone as skinny, as short, and as weak as her should not belong in the school or on a track team but join anyway to make something out of herself, make herself useful?

Alex knew that she shouldn't have taken Monica's suggestion so seriously but she couldn't help it. Michael was really starting to get to her with insults and everybody else seemed to be doing the same. These past few days, it seemed that he had become more and more brutal with her even after she had given him money.

Alex looked up at Monica and noticed something as she silently took a sip from her bottle of water. She was scared too, not for herself but for Alex, maybe even more scared than her. It seemed as if she were afraid that Alex would fail miserably in the sport with everyone's echoing laughter haunting her for the rest of her life in high school. All she was able to do, all she was ever able to do ever since she first met Alex was encourage her. It seemed as if she were afraid to make a useful move, maybe even afraid of the outcome of her tone of voice.

Alex couldn't live like that, having her remaining years in high school pass her by like the first brutal weeks attending this school. She could no longer live in fear, hiding, running away from her future for her own cowardliness. She realized that she had to force herself to change, for the better, for Monica.

Alex drew herself from her seat and the surrounding tables shifted their attention to her, "I'm gonna go see Coach Anderson," Alex murmured. Monica feigned what she thought was an encouraging smile and nodded.

"Okay," she said quietly, "Good luck."

"Thanks."

I'll need it...

Alex was trembling as she made her way down the barren hallway. She had never imagined herself joining a sport, let alone something as endurance-filled as track. If she were to judge how well she did in running, she would have said that she was a little bit below average but that was judging from way back in elementary. Ever since then, she hadn't been running much aside from the laps she did in gym class.

As she was about to knock on the door, she began to contemplate whether she should turn and head back to the cafeteria for Monica's comfort or get a head-start for her next class but once Michael came to mind, she hurriedly knocked on the door.

"Enter," came the low, courteous invitation.

Sighing, Alex quietly stepped into the cluttered room. The walls were made of cinderblock and adorned with photos of slews of unfamiliar track teams and families. Several golden trophies were safely secured behind a wall of glass, gleaming with triumph and glory. It was Alex's first time seeing a real trophy up so close and yet be so far away from it at the same time. It wasn't hers and she never thought that she could ever win a trophy so beautiful.

Her coach greeted her with a broad grin, "Hey, Avery. What can I help ya with?" she asked rising off her chair. Alex swallowed hard.

"I'm here for track tryouts." Alex timidly risked a glimpse over at her coach and then snapped her bashful gaze down to her timeworn shoes. She felt so embarrassed to how small she was compared to her teacher, not to mention her lack of height and muscles. She felt like a toddler under her gaze.

"I've never joined a sport before," Alex remarked quietly.

"Avery," she began gruffly and Alex cringed, "I don't care if you have experience whether you have never ran in your life or if you had won the championship. Track is a tough sport to commit to and most kids sign up and quit the next day. It's a waste of time, both for them and myself."

Alex felt as if she were telling her to quit while she had the chance. When Alex was committed to something, nothing could make her go astray and track was no exception.

"I won't give up, I promise."

"I know you won't, Avery," she said with a smile, "I'm glad that you asked to join." Alex recoiled in shock.

Someone is glad that I joined their sport? Shouldn't I be the one feeling glad? Who would be happy to have me on their team?

"Really?" Alex questioned skeptically.

"Really. Your quick and very light on your feet. You run very quietly and because of that, the other track runners will never notice that your catching up to them. That gift isn't given to just anybody, you know."

Alex couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was receiving a compliment from somebody and it wasn't even Monica or Aunt Becky giving it. She felt so different at that moment, happy, overwhelmed with joy and content.

Coach Anderson handed Alex the form where she informed her that she needed a parent's/guardian's signature in order to tryout and to return it before the fall semester was over.

"Okay. Thanks!" With that, Alex left Coach Anderson's office feeling confident, just two more steps away from earning her endurance and strength.

At home, Alex was excited to have her Aunt Becky sign her track form and although she looked utterly exhausted as she scrawled her name across the paper, she had been equally excited to witness her niece step out of her comfort zone and take on a new challenge.

"I'm so proud of you!" Aunt Becky shouted joyously as she embraced Alex with her all, "I can't wait to see your first competition!"

"I can't wait either, Aunt Becky," Alex murmured into her shirt.

"You can't tryout without a few pointers first," a deep voice from behind Alex said and her face scrunched up into one of annoyance and exasperation.

Great. He's here.

"Now, you can't be runnin' when you is as short as that. You got to put some height on you and get some meat on them bones."

She knew that what Uncle Joe was saying was partially true but she didn't want to listen. It took everything in her body to restrain herself from bluntly asking, "Why can't you just let me handle it on my own?"

Instead, she said, "My coach said I was very light on my feet and that it's a rare gift not given to most people."

"Light on your feet!" he exclaimed, "Please! That ain't gonna get you nowhere! It's all about speed and strength, Lex. Don't nobody care about being light-footed. It's bad enough that you're probably the shortest person there!"

Rage boiled within her chest. She hated how the one moment when she was proud of herself for doing something out of character, she was being criticized for it. He took that pleasant moment away from her and that filled her up with more rage than she ever felt towards Michael but knowing that her uncle would only retaliate with more brutal words, she held her tongue and marched down the hall to her room.

"Where she going? I'm only trying to give her some pointers," Uncle Joe said before she slammed the door behind her.

Nothing ever makes him happy.

That's why she despised him so much. He didn't care about people. He always hurt them in any possible way that he could.

He's a bully too. Just like Michael.

It was true though. Back at his old high school, he was a bully, according to Alex's father's stories. He was a killer, a real hardcore bully that picked on kids smaller than him and flushed their heads in the toilet and stole their lunch money and beating them into a bloody pulp afterwards. Although his physically harmful days were over, his verbal ways still lived actively.

He's just another older version of Michael except now, it seems as if Michael is in my family.

She hated them so much that she never wanted to ever see them again. She thought that it would have been better if neither of them was born. The world would have been a much better place if such a thing would have happened.